State pays fewer Women’s Health Program claims so far

The state has paid fewer January claims for low-income women to receive services through a high-profile health-care program so far this year than it had at the same point in 2012, according to figures Monday from the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

The information is incomplete because Women’s Health Program providers have six months to submit claims for services, which include cancer screening and birth control.

The Women’s Health Program was at the center of a high-profile court battle after the state sought to exclude Planned Parenthood from participating under a ban on affiliates of abortion providers. Planned Parenthood has fought the ban, but ended up being excluded after Dec. 31.

The federal government, which had covered 90 percent of the program’s nearly $40 million annual cost, had said its rules will not allow the exclusion. The state took over full funding for the program on Jan. 1.

Some health-care advocates have raised concerns over whether women would still have access to services without Planned Parenthood, which was a major provider in the Women’s Health Program.

According to the commission, the state paid 14,124 January claims by March 3 this year. In 2012, it had paid 14,908 January claims by March 1.

Sixty-three percent of January claims had been paid by the end of February in 2012, said commission spokeswoman Stephanie Goodman.

“The claims data is still incomplete so it’s too early to draw any conclusions, but this is a good sign that women still have access to family planning services through the state program,” Goodman said.